Tubing head



W. L. CHURCH Jan. 23, 1 934.

TUBING HEAD A Filed Jan. 24, 1933 Patented Jan. 23, 1934 TUBING HEAD Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex., assignor of one-half to W. L. Pearce, Harris County,

Tex.

Application January 24, 1933. Serial No. 653,275

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a tubing head.

An object of, the invention is to provide a tubing head adapted to be connected to the upper end of the well casing and which is equipped 'with flow controlling means whereby the well fluid may be delivered either through the tubing in the well or through the casing to the ground surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an' improved type of tubing hanger whereby the permanent tubing may be suspended in the well and which will prevent the flow of the oil or other well fluid from passing up around saidhead.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tubing head a tubular extension movable into one position to form a continuation of a permanent tubing in the well and into another position to permit the head to be completely closed by means of a suitable gate valve provided for the purpose to shut off the flow of well fluid through the head.

'A further object is to provide in a tubing head a movably mounted extension tubing of special construction and arranged to be mounted and operated in a novel manner, and when in active position forming a continuation of the permanent tubing in the well through which the oil or other well fluid may flow to the outlet lines above.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a tubing head having separable tubing which will permit the head to be closed for repairs and replacements above, said apparatus being provided with a casing outlet to permit the well to continue the flow when the tubing head is closed for such repairs or replacements.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is set forth in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the lower portion of the apparatus partly in section and showing the permanent tubing suspended in the well.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a side elevation partly in section of the upper end of the apparatus. In the drawing the numeral 1 designates the well casing to the upper end of which a gate valve casing 2 is connected. This casing 2 has the oppositely arranged upper and lower valve seats 3, 4 and a gate valve 5 is slidable into active position between said seats to completely close the well casing l and the permanent well tubing 6 beneath, said valve being movable into another position to open said casing and tubing. The gate valve 5 is actuated in the usual way by means of a valve stem 7 which has a threaded connection with said valve and a swiveling connection with the bonnet 8 secured to the side of the casing 2. The valve stem 7 may be turned by the hand wheel 9 secured on the outer end thereof.

The upper end of the tubing 6 is flared externally, as at 10 and has the surrounding packing 11 between said upper end and the well casing 1 to form a fluid tight joint.

The tubing hanger is formed with a 'ring 12 which closely surrounds the tubing 6 and upstanding from this ring there are the flexible arms 13 whose upper ends carry the slips 14. These slips are externally toothed to engage the casing 1 and are internally upwardly flared to conform to the shape of the upwardly flared bore 10 of the tubing. The ring 12 has the inside vertical grooves 15 and'the tubing 6 has the external vertical ribs 1'7. The upper end of the tubing 6 is internally threaded as at 18 for the engagement of a tap therewith whereby the tubing may be lowered into the well.

While being lowered the ribs 17 are turned out of alignment with the grooves 15 with the lower ends of said ribs resting against the upper side of the ring 12 and the tapering portion 12 will thereby be held out of contact with the slips 14 so that said slips may contract and enter the upper end of the casing 1.

When the tubing 6 has been lowered into position it may then be turned to align the ribs 17 with the grooves 15and the ring 12 will be held against turning by the friction of the slips with the casing 1.

The tubing 6 may then be further lowered, the ribs 17 moving through the grooves 15 and the tapering portion 10 will wedge between and expand the slips 14 into engagement with the casing 1 whereby the tubing 6 will be supported as shown in Figure 1.

The tap or ternal'annular flange 22 thereon.

These SEC- tions 20, 21 have the confronting annular grooves 23', 24 to receive a packing ring 25. The lower section 20 of the union has an external annular shoulder 26 and in engagement therewith there is the ring. 27 and suitable bolts 28 connect the flange 22 and ring 2''! whereby the upper and lower sections of said union are securedtogether. A suitable Christmas tree or cross connection 29 is connected to the upper end of the union section 21, said cross connection having the lateral branches 30, 30 incorporated into which are the chokes 31 and the controlling valves 32. The upstanding branch of the cross connections 29 is extended forming a tubular housing 33 threaded to the upper end of which there is the hood 34. Mounted on the upper end of this hood there is a hand wheel 35 whose hub is internally coarsely threaded and this hand wheel is maintained in place by the surrounding coupling 36 having the inside annular ribs 37, 3'7 which fit into corresponding grooves in said hood and hub respectively whereby the hand wheel 35 has a swivclling connection with the hood 34.

' There is a tubing extension 38 whose lower end is formed with a tapering seat 39 shaped to fit tubular shaft 42 which is coarsely threaded and has a splined connection with the hood 34 and is also threaded through the hub of the hand wheel 35. A suitable pressure gauge 43 may be connected into the upper end of said shaft 42.

It is obvious that by rotating the wheel 35 the shaft 42 and the extension tubing 38 may be elevated and lowered. Under normal producing conditions the gate valve 5 will be opened and the extension 38 lowered into active position with its lower end seated on the seat 19. The well fluid may then flow up through the permanent tubing 6 and through the extension tubing 38 and out through the slots 44, 44 which are at all times in alignment with the branches 30, the fluid passing out through the flow lines 45.

' At various times it becomes necessary to make repairs above the gate valve or to make changes or substitutions. In such case the hand wheel 35 may be manipulated to elevate the tubing extension 38 and while being elevated the fiuid may continue to fiow in the usual way up through the extension 38 and out through the slots 44 and the flow lines 45 until the gate valve 5 is closed. Thereupon the valve 46 of the flow line 47 leading out from the casing 1 beneath the tubing hanger, may be opened and the well may be permitted to continue to flow while the repairs and replacements are being made above and thereupon the valve 46 may be closed and the tubing extension 38 returned to'its lower or active position and the flow continued without interruponly through the flow lines 45,

when the tubing extension 38 is fully elevated,

the external tapering shoulder 49 on the shaft 42 will contact with the internal annular shoulder 50 of the hood 34 forming a fiuid tight joint and thus relieving the cup rings 40.

The lower coupling member 20 performs the services of a casing head when the upper section 21 and the appendants thereof are not 'in place so that the well may be swabbed or other work performed in the well through said casing head and this lower section 20 has an internal downwardly tapering seat 51 to receive slips to be used in supporting the string of permanent tubing while the well is being tubed up and when the permanent tubing is located in the well, the upper section 21 with the extension tube 38 and the Christmas tree may then be put in place and bolted in position as shown in Figure 1.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tubing head having a gate valve associated therewith and a side outlet above said valve, a vertically movable extension pipe having a close fit in the head and sealing means therearound above and beneath said outlet, a flow pipe in the well whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, a seal around said upper end forming a fluid tight joint between said flow pipe and the well casing, the extension pipe normally forming a continuous conduit with the flow pipe, means for moving said extension pipe upwardly from the fiow pipe to permit the valve to be closed, said extension pipe having a longitudinal side slot in constant communication with the' outlet.

2. A tubing head having a gate valve and a side outlet above the valve, 'said head having an elongated axial bearing, a vertically movable extension pipe in said bearing having a longitudinal slot in constant communication with said outlet, sealing means in the bearing around the extension pipe above and below said outlet, a flow pipe in the well whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, sealing means around the upper end of the flow pipe and between said end and the well casing, means for moving the extension pipe downwardly to seat on, and form a continuous conduit with, the flow pipe, and upwardly from the flow pipe to permit the gate valve to be closed.

3. A tubing head having agate valve and a side outlet above the valve, said head having an elongated axial bearing, a vertically movable extension/pipe in said bearing having a longitudinal slot in constant communication with said outlet, sealing means in the bearing around the extension pipe above and below said outlet, a flow pipe in the well whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, sealing means around the upper end of the flow pipe and between said end and the well casing, means for moving the extension pipe downwardly to seat on, and form a continuous conduit with, the fiow pipe, and upwardly from the flow pipe to permit the gate valve to be closed, and a relief outlet leading out from the casing beneath the upper end of said flow pipe to permit a continuation of the fiow from the well when said gate valve is.c1osed.

4. Apparatus for controlling the fiow of liquid from wells and having a gate valve casing and gate valve in said casing, a permanent fiow pipe in thewell whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, a tubing head attached to the top of the valve casing and having an elongated axial bearing above said valve and having a side outlet leading out from said bearing, an extension pipe movable in said bearing and having a longitudinally elongated opening in registration with said outlet, the lower end of said extension pipe being shaped to seat on the upper end of the flow pipe to form a continuous conduit.

5. Apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid.

from wells and having a gate valve casing and gate valve in said casing, a permanent flow pipe in the well whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, a tubing head attached to the top of the valve casing and having an elongated axial bearing above said valve and having a side outlet leading out from said bearing, an extension pipe movable in said bearing and having a longitudinally elongated opening in registration withsaid outlet, the lower end of said extension pipe being shaped to seat on the upper end of the flow pipe to form a continuous conduit, and means for elevating the extension pipe above the flow pipe to permit said valve to close.

6. The combination with a well casing, of a valve casing connected to the top of the well casing and valve in the valve casing, a permanent flow tubing suspended in the well casing and whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, a tubing head above and connected to said valve casing and having a vertical bearing and an outlet leading from said bearing, an extension tube in said bearing moveable into lower position to seat onthe flow tube and into upper position casing and having a vertical bearing and an outlet leading from said bearing, an extension tube in said bearing moveable'into lower position to seat on the flow tube and into upper position spaced from the flow tube to permit said valve to be closed, said extension tube having an opening in communication with said outlet in either of saidpositions, and means for moving said extenflow pipe in the casing, whose upper end is flaredand formed with an inside seat, expansible casing engaging means around said flared end and arranged to be expanded thereby into engagement with the inside walls of the casing to support said flow pipe.

9. In apparatus for controlling the flow of liquid from wells, at well casing, a permanent flow pipe in the casing, whose upper end is flared, expansible casing engaging means around said flared end and arranged to be expanded thereby into engagement with the casing to support said flow pipe, and packing around the flow pipe constantly maintained in contact with the casing forming a fluid tight joint between the upper end of the flow pipe and the casing.

10. The combination with a well casing, of a valve casing connected to the top of the well cas- 4 ing, a valve in the valve casing, a permanent flow tubing suspended in the well casing and whose upper end terminates beneath said valve, a tubing head above and connected to said valve casing and having a vertical bearing and an outlet leading from said bearing, an extension tube in said bearing moveable into lower position to seat on the flow tube and into upper position spaced from the flow tube to permit said valve to be closed, said extension tube having an opening in communication with said outlet in either of said positions, and sealing means around the extension pipe above and beneath said outlet forming fluid tight joints between the extension pipe and bearing. 

